Van Miller: Wilson was best owner in NFL

Former News 4 Sports anchor and “Voice of the Buffalo Bills” Van Miller, upon hearing the news of Ralph Wilson’s death, reflects on the former Bills owner as “the best in the NFL.”

“I think his legacy is he’s the man who put Buffalo on the map as a major league sports franchise,” Miller said.

Although his health limited Wilson’s traveling in his later years, Miller said Wilson was the most hands-on owner in the league.

“He spent more time with his team than any other owner in football. So he was here every year. When we were in Fredonia (for training camp) he’d be there. He had a place there. He and his wife stayed there,” Miller said.

Miller knew Wilson on a personal level and considered him a friend. They played a lot of tennis together and spent time away from the football stadium.

Wilson was a founding owner in the AFL. Miller said he led the way for the AFL to merge with the NFL, creating the league we know today. And if he didn’t plant a team in Buffalo when he did, Miller said the economics of the league today would make it impossible to move one to the Queen City.

“Without Ralph Wilson, if we didn’t have a National Football League team here, we wouldn’t have a chance to get one now,” Miller said.